Blowin’ in the wind

Here in the Pacific Northwest, forecasts show we have 50/50 of experiencing a storm that will rival the historic Columbus Day storm of 1963. I wasn’t around for it, but I’ve read it caused $230 million in damages, took 46 lives and injured hundreds of others.

50 plus years later, I doubt people are any better prepared for a catastrophe of this nature.

When the storm hits, will you be prepared?

Here are some tips:

(But WAIT one doggone minute – this list looks familiar! Well, yes, yes it does – these are pretty basic preparation ideas, many we have shared before. )

Clean out your gutters.

Remove danger trees and/or dead limbs.

Put away outdoor furniture.

Secure livestock.

If you’re in a flood zone, have sandbags ready.

Made sure you have enough fuel for your stove.

Have warm blankets and clothing available.

NEVER use a propane heater or grill inside.

Top off the fuel in your vehicles.

First Aid kit and a 7-day supply of prescription medications.

Flashlights and extra batteries

Enough food and water for a minimum of 72 hours (3 days).

Water… don’t wait to the last minute, a news station in Seattle was showing bare shelves last night.

Food… easy to prepare without the assistance of electricity.

Don’t forget about your pets!

Cell phone charged up and a charging block available.

Landline, remember it may be the only line working.

Have a battery-powered or hand crank radio available.

Extra batteries.

Cash on hand.

These are just a few ideas. When the storm hits, don’t find your a…er… yourself blowin’ in the wind.

What are some tips you have for preparing for a storm? Leave them in the comments below.

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10 thoughts on “Blowin’ in the wind”

Good list! Cleaning the gutters is one people forget, but I got my sweetheart to do it before Hurricane Matthew. Living on the east coast, I have stockpiled candles – ever since I was without electricity for 10 days in Floyd or Fran or one of those big storms many years ago. I still have candles left after Matthew’s visit and three days of no electricity.

I know this was posted a while ago, but so glad you and yours are alright. Don’t know what it would be like to have these types of storms, living in the Midwest, we have more of the Tornado and Dust Storms. List of to dos for a tornado are all the same, listening to your weather, and find a safe place in your home or go to a storm shelter, also open a window a small ways, helps to alleviate a vacuum. As far as dust storms, stay inside and wait it out. be prepared to dust for days on end after, cuz no matter how airtight your home might seem, dust will find a way into your home. Or just be like me and not have all the do dads to dust. love your post.

Thank you – I’m so glad you enjoyed the post. I really appreciate your visit. Several years ago, I lived in Southern California and with in an 18 month period, we endured 3 large wildfires… so I totally understand about the ‘dust’ issue, except in our case it was ash. Dang! That stuff got into every everything!